Martha Stewart Living Hit by Holiday Layoffs

Up to 100 staffers will be fired, per report

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is undergoing a major round of pre-Christmas layoffs. The New York Post reported that up to 100 MSLO staffers—or about 25 percent of the company’s workforce—were expected to be axed today.

One MSLO staffer described the current office atmosphere as “really awful,” adding, “It’s really scary and terrible right before the holidays.”

According to the Post, the layoffs are expected to hit the flagship Martha Stewart Living magazine especially hard amid speculation that the company is planning to deemphasize its media arm as it focuses more on licensing and product lines.

Advertisingwise, Martha Stewart Living had an up year, with full-year ad pages rising nearly 16 percent over 2012. Circulation was flat in the first half of 2013, and newsstand sales dropped 13 percent. The magazine unveiled a well-received redesign in July in hopes of boosting those numbers.